Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090280780 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING A MESSAGE SUITABLE FOR DELIVERY TO A USER OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES - The aim of the present invention is a system ( | 11-12-2009 |
20090307093 | METHOD FOR SELECTING AN ADVERTISING MESSAGE WITHIN A PLATFORM - In the method for selecting an advertising message to be sent to a user's ( | 12-10-2009 |
20100138278 | APPLICATIONS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES USER PROFILING - Computer program product comprising instructions to carry out profiling of a telecommunications services user in a multi-platform environment ( | 06-03-2010 |
20130139063 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ASSISTING WITH COLOUR SELECTION - Method for colour selection assistance for the preparation of visual aids, taking into account at least one profile influencing the selection of colours, one lesson about a colour, one colour combination rule, and one piece of information about the structure of the visual aid. | 05-30-2013 |
20140026184 | METHOD FOR CONFIGURING PERSONAL DATA DISTRIBUTION RULES - The invention pertains to a method for configuring rules for distributing personal data of a social network user (U) with respect to a target contact (CC). The method consists of retrieving behavioral data of the target contact. Based on this retrieved behavioral data and a sensitivities profile defined by the user, an assessment grade is assigned to the target contact with respect to the danger that he or she represents of propagating the user's personal data. Based on the grade assigned to the target contact, a recommendation to configure the rules for distributing his or her personal data is issued to the user. | 01-23-2014 |
20140201764 | CONTROLLING THE PROCESSING OF A MULTIMEDIA OBJECT BY A SOFTWARE APPLICATION - To control the processing of a multimedia object (OM) by a software application (AppL) implemented within a communication device (DC), a control application (AC) implemented in the communication device intercepts a call from the software application to an execution environment (EE) to carry out a basic operation on the multimedia object, the multimedia object being divided into segments each associated with control data (DonC) comprising at least some data from among semantic data (DonSm), sensitivity data (DonSb), and functionality data (DonF), associates transformation parameters (ParT) comprising at least one functionality parameter (ParF) and at least one semantic parameter (ParSm) and one sensitivity parameter (ParSb) with the call, depending upon the context in which the call is executed. The control application transforms the multimedia object into a transformed multimedia object (OMt) based on the control data (DonC) associated with the multimedia object and the transformation parameters (ParT) associated with the call, the transformed multimedia object comprising at least one transformed segment such that the transformed multimedia object presents less information than the multimedia object and is capable of undergoing a basic operation carried out by the execution environment. | 07-17-2014 |
20140223575 | PRIVACY PROTECTION IN RECOMMENDATION SERVICES - The present subject matter discloses a system and a method for privacy protection to protect the confidential and personal information of end users using a client device ( | 08-07-2014 |
20140258025 | DIGITAL CONTENT RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM - In order to recommend digital content to be delivered via a telecommunications network (RT) to a communication terminal (TC), a device (DRA) receives a first list (L1) of digital content produced from a recommendation system (SR) based on a user's profile, each piece of digital content on the list being associated with an estimate of the user's degree of interest, and receives cost estimates respectively associated with the deliveries of digital content included in the first list from another device (DAC), the cost being representative of resources of the telecommunications network needed to deliver the digital content from a content source (SC) to the communication terminal. The device (DRA) assigns a score to each piece of digital content based on the estimate of the degree of interest associated with the digital content and the estimate of the cost associated with the delivery of digital content, and generates a second list (L2) of digital content based on the scores assigned to the digital content on the first list (L1) before transmitting the second list to the communication terminal. | 09-11-2014 |
20140303888 | ROAD TRAFFIC OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM - To optimize road traffic within an application server (SA) providing itineraries recommended to users connected to said application server from communication terminals (TC), each recommended itinerary being provided to a user based on a profile of the user containing the departure date or arrival date, the departure location and the arrival location, the application server compares the itineraries recommended to users whose indicated departure date belongs to a given interval time, produces a set of users whose corresponding recommended itineraries have at least one itinerary segment of given length in common, and modifies an itinerary recommended to at least one user who belongs to said set of users. | 10-09-2014 |
20150135329 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRIVACY PROTECTED CLUSTERING OF USER INTEREST PROFILES - According to an implementation of the present subject matter, apparatus and methods for privacy protected clustering of user interest profiles are described. The method includes generating at least one interest profile segment based on an interest profile of an end user ( | 05-14-2015 |
20150156172 | ARCHITECTURE OF PRIVACY PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR RECOMMENDATION SERVICES - Method(s) and system(s) for providing privacy to personal information of end users while utilizing recommendation services and personalized content are described. According to the present subject matter, the system(s) implement the described method(s) for providing privacy to personal information of end users. The method for privacy protection includes receiving user consumption data associated with one or more end users where the user consumption data comprises at least a slice of interest profile and associated interest group id of the slice of interest profile; and where the user consumption data is received through a network anonymization layer. The method may further include routing the user consumption data to an interest group aggregator node from amongst a plurality of intermediary nodes based on distributed hash table routing mechanism, and wherein the interest group aggregator node is associated with the interest group id present in the user consumption data. | 06-04-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140289207 | QUALITY ASSURANCE CHECKS OF ACCESS RIGHTS IN A COMPUTING SYSTEM - Systems and methods for ensuring the quality of identity and access management information at a computing system are described. Access right information that respectively corresponds to one or more access rights may be stored at a data store. The access right information may be stored in accordance with a data model that defines respective relationships between the access rights and both the users having access to the computing system and the computing resources of the computing system. At least a portion of the access right information may be retrieved, and quality assurance tasks may be performed using the portion of the access right information retrieved. | 09-25-2014 |
20140289402 | COMPUTING RESOURCE INVENTORY SYSTEM - Systems and methods of managing computing resources of a computing system are described. A computing resource list and computing resource information may be stored at a data store. The computing resource list may identify a set of computing resources of a computing system, and the computing resource information may respectively describe the computing resources. The computing resource list may be updated in response to a new computing resource being added to the computing system or in response to an existing computing resource being removed from the computing system. Evaluation tasks for the computing resources may be performed, and a resource evaluation report may be generated during performance of at least one of the evaluation reports. | 09-25-2014 |
20140289793 | GRANULAR RISK EXPRESSION - Systems and methods for granularly expressing risk associated with computing resources of a computing system are described. A resource detail interface may be provided that includes a permission list identifying a permission to a computing resource of the computing system. A review flag of the permission is configurable at the resource detail interface in response to input received at the interface. The review flag may be set based on the input received at the resource detail interface to indicate whether review of the permission is required. A resource review interface may display a list of pending reviews of access rights, and a decision for a review may be received at the resource review interface. A review of an access right may be created in response to a determination that a computing resource permission associated with the access right requires review. | 09-25-2014 |
20140289796 | RECONCILIATION OF ACCESS RIGHTS IN A COMPUTING SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provide for reconciling access rights of a computing system are described. Access right information that respectively corresponds to access rights of a computing system may be obtained and evaluated. Reconciliation tasks may be performed using the access right information, and a reconciliation report may be generated during performance of at least one of the reconciliation tasks. The reconciliation report may indicate that one or more of the access rights should either be provisioned or revoked at the computing system. | 09-25-2014 |
20140289846 | FACILITATING REVIEW OF ACCESS RIGHTS IN A COMPUTING SYSTEM - Systems and methods for facilitating reviews of IAM information are described. A list of pending reviews of respective access rights of a computing system may be provided to a display device for presentation at a display interface. A review decision for one of the pending reviews may be received such that the pending review becomes a completed review. The review decision and a date the review decision was received may be stored at a data store. An access right associated with the completed review may be selected in response to a review event that requires review of that access right. It may then be determined whether the completed review is accreditable to review of the access right selected for the review event based on the date the review decision was received for the completed review. | 09-25-2014 |
20140298423 | FACILITATING SEPARATION-OF-DUTIES WHEN PROVISIONING ACCESS RIGHTS IN A COMPUTING SYSTEM - Systems and methods for managing risk management rules are provided. A risk management rule may be configured at a rule configuration interface are described. The rule configuration interface may include a list of access rights available for selection. Based on input received, one of the access rights may be identified as a base access right and one of the access rights may be identified as a conflicting access right for the risk management rule. The access rights provisioned at the computing system may be monitored to determine whether a user is provisioned with both the base access right and the conflicting access right. If so, a violation review may be created and presented at a violation review interface at which a decision for the violation review is receivable. An exception to the risk management rule may also be configured at an exception configuration interface. | 10-02-2014 |
20160078203 | Continuous Monitoring of Access of Computing Resources - Systems and methods are provided for monitoring access of computing resources. Usage rules may be created and stored that define a usage constraint based on actions available to be performed at the computing resources. An authenticator may verify login credentials received from a user and authorize the user to access a computing resource. A request to perform an action at the computing resource may be received, and a usage monitor may apply a usage rule to the requested action. If the requested action violates the usage constraint of the usage rule, the usage monitor may halt performance of the requested action and notify another user of the usage constraint violation. The authenticator may receive and verify another set of login credentials from that other user. In response to successful verification of the additional set of login credentials, the usage monitor may resume performance of the requested action. | 03-17-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140188367 | DISPLAYING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE - A system and method for displaying information associated with an electric vehicle via an application located remotely from the electric vehicle is described. In some examples, the system transmit a request to a computing device of an electric vehicle, receives status information about one or more components of the electric vehicle, and presents an indication of a status for the one or more components of the electric vehicle based on the received status information. | 07-03-2014 |
20150032659 | SCORING CHARGING EVENTS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES - A system and method for ranking or scoring charging stations and/or charging events or sessions, and/or performing actions based on the ranking or scoring is described. In some embodiments, a charging station ranking engine is configured to rank charging stations, or potential charging events, based on feedback received from users of the charging stations, such as drivers of electric vehicles, or other dynamically determined factors. | 01-29-2015 |
20150032660 | SCORING CHARGING EVENTS AT ELECTRIC VEHICLES - A system and method for ranking or scoring charging stations and/or charging events or sessions, and/or performing actions based on the ranking or scoring is described. In some embodiments, a charging station ranking engine is configured to rank charging stations, or potential charging events, based on feedback received from users of the charging stations, such as drivers of electric vehicles, or other dynamically determined factors. | 01-29-2015 |
20150032661 | SCORING CHARGING STATIONS USED BY ELECTRIC VEHICLES - A system and method for ranking or scoring charging stations and/or charging events or sessions, and/or performing actions based on the ranking or scoring is described. In some embodiments, a charging station ranking engine is configured to rank charging stations, or potential charging events, based on feedback received from users of the charging stations, such as drivers of electric vehicles, or other dynamically determined factors. | 01-29-2015 |
20150224888 | PROVIDING AN INTERFACE TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS - In some embodiments, the system and method may access a request to charge an electric vehicle at a specific charging station, identify a charging network (e.g., one of multiple, disparate charging networks) associated with the specific charging station, and automatically provide payment information to the charging network via a payment protocol associated with the charging network. The charging interface system, therefore, may facilitate access to any charging network and/or charging station by providing an interface between a driver of an electric vehicle and one of many charging networks. | 08-13-2015 |
20150224891 | PERFORMING ACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A CONNECTED VEHICLE - Systems and methods for collecting data from electric vehicles, and performing various different actions based on the collected data, are described. In some embodiments, a device, such as a remote device that communicates with a server, connects with a controller area network (CAN) of an electric vehicle, and collects data from the CAN and/or other types of data associated with the electric vehicle (e.g., geographical information that identifies a location of an electric vehicle, movement information that identifies whether the electric vehicle is in motion or not, and so on). The systems and methods may perform various actions using some or all of the collected data. | 08-13-2015 |
20150226566 | DETERMINING A ROUTE OF TRAVEL FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE - Systems and methods for identifying available charging stations (e.g., charging stations available to be used by an electric vehicle) and/or determining travel routes for electric vehicles are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods receive a request to find an available charging station, determine a state of charge for an electric vehicle associated with the request, identifies one or more available charging stations located within a suitable distance to the electric vehicle, the suitable distance based on the determined state of the charge for the electric vehicle, and present information to the electric vehicle, or an associated mobile device, that indicates the identified charging stations. | 08-13-2015 |
20150226567 | PRESENTING ROUTING INFORMATION FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES - Systems and methods for identifying available charging stations (e.g., charging stations available to be used by an electric vehicle) and/or determining travel routes for electric vehicles are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods receive a request to find an available charging station, determine a state of charge for an electric vehicle associated with the request, identifies one or more available charging stations located within a suitable distance to the electric vehicle, the suitable distance based on the determined state of the charge for the electric vehicle, and present information to the electric vehicle, or an associated mobile device, that indicates the identified charging stations. | 08-13-2015 |
20150226571 | IDENTIFYING AVAILABLE CHARGING STATIONS FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE - Systems and methods for identifying available charging stations (e.g., charging stations available to be used by an electric vehicle) and/or determining travel routes for electric vehicles are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods receive a request to find an available charging station, determine a state of charge for an electric vehicle associated with the request, identifies one or more available charging stations located within a suitable distance to the electric vehicle, the suitable distance based on the determined state of the charge for the electric vehicle, and present information to the electric vehicle, or an associated mobile device, that indicates the identified charging stations. | 08-13-2015 |
20150226572 | AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING A CHARGING STATION FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE - Systems and methods for identifying available charging stations (e.g., charging stations available to be used by an electric vehicle) and/or determining travel routes for electric vehicles are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods receive a request to find an available charging station, determine a state of charge for an electric vehicle associated with the request, identifies one or more available charging stations located within a suitable distance to the electric vehicle, the suitable distance based on the determined state of the charge for the electric vehicle, and present information to the electric vehicle, or an associated mobile device, that indicates the identified charging stations. | 08-13-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090213321 | TUNABLE LIQUID LENS WITH REDUCED ABERRATION - A tunable optical imaging system uses a fixed lens and a tunable liquid crystal lens that is operated only outside of an operational range of high aberration. A voltage range applied to change the optical power of the liquid crystal lens is limited to a continuous tunable range of low aberration. The relative positioning between the lens and a corresponding photodetector, and the relative lens powers of a fixed lens and the tunable lens, may be selected to compensate for any optical power offsets resulting from the limitation of the voltage range of the tunable lens. The lens may be operated in either positive tunability or negative tunability mode. | 08-27-2009 |
20090316097 | LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE AND METHOD OF FABRICATION THEREOF - A tunable-focusing liquid crystal lens (TLCL) cell has a liquid crystal layer arranged within a cell gap defined between substrates, a layer of optically transparent material arranged between the first substrate and the LC layer, and a liquid crystal alignment layer arranged between the optically transparent layer and the LC layer. The alignment layer is provided on a third optically transparent substrate having a non-planar shape for giving a non-planar profile to the LC layer, which substrate is obtained from a flexible sheet initially provided with the alignment layer and then formed into the non-planar shape. The lens further has a first optically transparent electrode provided on the second substrate, a second optically transparent electrode provided on either or both of first and third substrates. The electrodes are arranged to generate an electric field acting on the LC layer to change the focal distance of the LC cell. Methods for fabricating such TLCL cell are also provided | 12-24-2009 |
20100007807 | Optically hidden electromagnetic source for generation of spatially non uniform magnetic field and tunable devices made thereof - An electromagnetic source has an electrode structure coupled to a substrate. The electrode structure has interspaced electrodes, at least one of which is spiral-shaped. At least one electrical contact interconnects the electrodes of the electrode structure. The electrode structure is responsive to an applied electrical current to generate a spatially non-uniform magnetic field. This field can act on a LC layer such that optical properties of the layer are controllable. | 01-14-2010 |
20100039532 | In Flight Autofocus System And Method - A camera module and method for focusing a tunable lens configured to continuously vary its optical power in response to a drive signal. A drive circuit generates the drive signal so that the tunable lens performs a continuous scan of its optical power. An image sensor is configured to acquire light images passing through the tunable lens, and to convert the light images to image signals during the continuous scan. A processor is configured to generate focus scores of the acquired light images using the image signals during the continuous scan. The processor is configured to determine from the focus scores a peak focus score achieved or achievable, and to instruct the drive circuit to adjust the drive signal so that the tunable lens settles at a value of the optical power that corresponds to the peak focus score. | 02-18-2010 |
20110090415 | TUNABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL DEVICE - A liquid crystal optical device has a layered structure with split liquid crystal layers having alignment surfaces that define in a liquid crystal material pre-tilt angles of opposite signs. Four liquid crystal layers can provide two directions of linear polarization. In the case of a lens, the device can be a gradient index lens, and the alignment surfaces can have a spatially uniform pre-tilt. | 04-21-2011 |
20120006466 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE - A wafer level method of manufacturing a liquid crystal optical device removes the need for a rigid barrier fillet while minimizing any risk of contamination of the liquid crystal. An uncured adhesive may be deposited on a bottom substrate and partially cured to form a liquid crystal barrier. After addition of the liquid crystal and a top substrate, the adhesive is fully cured to bond the substrate layers together. An uncured adhesive may be used together with the partially cured adhesive, and may be deposited separately or filled into an extracellular matrix surrounding a plurality of liquid crystal cells. The adhesive may be cured by a variety of means, including light that may be spatially modulated. One or both of the substrates may be deformed during assembly so as to create a structure with a lensing effect on light passing through the liquid crystal region. | 01-12-2012 |
20120113318 | Methods of Adjustment Free Manufacture Of Focus Free Camera Modules - Methods are provided for wafer scale manufacturing camera modules without adjustment components to compensate for assembly errors and optical errors incurred within manufacturing tolerances. Camera modules are assembled in wafer arrays from arrays of image sensors, arrays of lens structures and arrays of optical trim elements. At least one of the arrays is a wafer. Lens structures are configured to provide less optical power than necessary to focus an image at infinity on image sensors without trim elements. A test performed during the wafer scale assembly of camera modules, after at least the sensor array and the lens structure array assembled, determines optical errors by identifying optical distortions and aberrations quantified in terms of optical power, astigmatism, coma, optical axis shift and optical axis reorientation deficiencies. Corresponding trim elements are configured to counteract distortions and aberrations prior to singulating useful camera modules from the array. | 05-10-2012 |
20120120335 | ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICES USING DYNAMIC RECONFIGURATION OF EFFECTIVE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES - Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The frequency of a drive signal that generates an electric field in the device may be varied, and the frequency dependent material has different charge mobilities for the different frequencies. At a low charge mobility, the frequency dependent material has little effect on the existing electrode structures. However, at a high charge mobility, the frequency dependent material appears as an extension of the fixed electrodes, and may be used to change the effective electrode structure and, thereby, the spatial profile of the electric field. This, in turn, changes the optical properties of the liquid crystal, thus allowing the optical device to be frequency controllable. | 05-17-2012 |
20120127380 | TUNABLE LIQUID LENS WITH REDUCED ABERRATION - A tunable optical imaging system uses a fixed lens and a tunable liquid crystal lens that is operated only outside of an operational range of high aberration. A voltage range applied to change the optical power of the liquid crystal lens is limited to a continuous tunable range of low aberration. The relative positioning between the lens and a corresponding photodetector, and the relative lens powers of a fixed lens and the tunable lens, may be selected to compensate for any optical power offsets resulting from the limitation of the voltage range of the tunable lens. The lens may be operated in either positive tunability or negative tunability mode. | 05-24-2012 |
20120188490 | Multiple Cell Liquid Crystal Optical Device With Coupled Electric Field Control - A liquid crystal optical device is provided. The optical device includes a liquid crystal cell controlling optical properties of light passing therethrough and has: a liquid crystal layer, a planar electrode located to one side of said liquid crystal layer; an electric field control structure located to the opposite side of the liquid crystal layer; and a wavefront adjustment structure configured to provide optical phase front adjustment. In some embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a conductive floating electrode. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance having a frequency dependent characteristic. | 07-26-2012 |
20120257131 | IMAGE STABILIZATION AND SHIFTING IN A LIQUID CRYSTAL LENS - Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The frequency of a drive signal that generates an electric field in the device can be varied, and the frequency dependent material has different charge mobilities for the different frequencies. At a low charge mobility, the frequency dependent material has little effect on the existing electrode structures. However, at a high charge mobility, the frequency dependent material appears as an extension of the fixed electrodes, and can be used to change the effective electrode structure and, thereby, the spatial profile of the electric field. This, in turn, changes the optical properties of the liquid crystal, thus allowing the optical device to be frequency controllable. | 10-11-2012 |
20130033673 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING OPERATION OF AN OPTICAL LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE - Methods and apparatus for testing operation of a single or multiple tunable active optical device(s) operated by one or more driving electrodes are described Test methods and apparatus are provided for device testing without necessarily requiring direct physical contact with the driving electrodes Testing subjects devices to incident light along an optical path and to an external electric field applied to the device producing a dipolar charge distribution within the electrodes, causing the device to operate The effect of device operation on incident light is optically sensed The sensed effect is analyzed to identify device defects Test methods and apparatus are provided for testing multiple unsingulated devices during fabrication employing a strip contact structure having contact strips connected to multiple devices and extending to wafer edges, such that singulating devices leaves portions of the strip contact structure exposed on device dice edges providing electrical contacts in use. | 02-07-2013 |
20130077001 | ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICES USING DYNAMIC RECONFIGURATION OF EFFECTIVE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES - Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The drive signal source uses pulse-width modulation to set a frequency and an amplitude of the drive signal. | 03-28-2013 |
20130081754 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE - A wafer level method of manufacturing a liquid crystal optical device removes the need for a rigid barrier fillet while minimizing any risk of contamination of the liquid crystal. An uncured adhesive may be deposited on a bottom substrate and partially cured to form a liquid crystal barrier. After addition of the liquid crystal and a top substrate, the adhesive is fully cured to bond the substrate layers together. An uncured adhesive may be used together with the partially cured adhesive, and may be deposited separately or filled into an extracellular matrix surrounding a plurality of liquid crystal cells. The adhesive may be cured by a variety of means, including light that may be spatially modulated. One or both of the substrates may be deformed during assembly so as to create a structure with a lensing effect on light passing through the liquid crystal region. | 04-04-2013 |
20130314632 | FAST TUNABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A tunable liquid crystal lens employing a dual frequency liquid crystal material exhibiting a dielectric anisotropy about a crossover frequency at room temperature is provided. A tunable liquid crystal lens drive signal having low and high frequency components about the crossover frequency, applies a spatially modulated electric field to the dual frequency liquid crystal layer, wherein the differential root means square amplitude determines the optical power. Changing the differential root means square amplitude provides optical power changes under prevailing excitation conditions providing improvements in optical power change speed. Employing drive signal pulses can impart further optical power change speed improvements. A variety of tunable liquid crystal lens structures employing the proposed solution are described. | 11-28-2013 |
20140036183 | TUNABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL DEVICE - A liquid crystal optical device has a layered structure with split liquid crystal layers having alignment surfaces that define in a liquid crystal material pre-tilt angles of opposite signs. Four liquid crystal layers can provide two directions of linear polarization. In the case of a lens, the device can be a gradient index lens, and the alignment surfaces can have a spatially uniform pre-tilt. | 02-06-2014 |
20140049682 | IN-FLIGHT AUTO FOCUS METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TUNABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL ELEMENT - An auto-focus system employing a tunable liquid crystal lens is provided that collects images at different optical power values as the liquid crystal molecules are excited between a ground state and a maximum optical power state tracking image focus scores. An image is acquired at a desired optical power value less than maximum optical power established with the liquid crystal molecules closer a fully excited state than the maximum optical power state having the same image focus score. This drive signal employed during image acquisition uses more power than was used to achieve the same optical power value during the auto-focus scan, while actively driving the liquid crystal molecules is fast. A pause due to image transfer/processing delays after acquisition is employed to allow slow relaxation of the liquid crystal molecules back to the ground state in preparation for a subsequent focus search. | 02-20-2014 |
20140139768 | CAPACITIVELY COUPLED ELECTRIC FIELD CONTROL DEVICE - An electrode structure is proposed for controlling a spatially non-uniform electric field driving a tunable liquid crystal lens or beam steering device. The spatially non-uniform electrode structure enables the generation of a predetermined spatially non-uniform electric field profile where complex capacitive coupling between multiple different electrically floating neighboring electrode segments is employed for the generation of the electrical field of desired form by supplying an initial electric potential to a limited number of electrodes. | 05-22-2014 |
20150055037 | ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICES USING DYNAMIC RECONFIGURATION OF EFFECTIVE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES - Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The drive signal source uses pulse-width modulation to set a frequency and an amplitude of the drive signal. | 02-26-2015 |
20150146137 | Multiple Cell Liquid Crystal Optical Device With Coupled Electric Field Control - A liquid crystal optical device is provided. The optical device includes a liquid crystal cell controlling optical properties of light passing therethrough and has: a liquid crystal layer, a planar electrode located to one side of said liquid crystal layer; an electric field control structure located to the opposite side of the liquid crystal layer; and a wavefront adjustment structure configured to provide optical phase front adjustment. In some embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a conductive floating electrode. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance having a frequency dependent characteristic. | 05-28-2015 |
20150198830 | ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICES USING DYNAMIC RECONFIGURATION OF EFFECTIVE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES - Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The drive signal source uses pulse-width modulation to set a frequency and an amplitude of the drive signal. | 07-16-2015 |
20150301307 | IN-FLIGHT AUTO FOCUS METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TUNABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL ELEMENT - An auto-focus system employing a tunable liquid crystal lens is provided that collects images at different optical power values as the liquid crystal molecules are excited between a ground state and a maximum optical power state tracking image focus scores. An image is acquired at a desired optical power value less than maximum optical power established with the liquid crystal molecules closer a fully excited state than the maximum optical power state having the same image focus score. This drive signal employed during image acquisition uses more power than was used to achieve the same optical power value during the auto-focus scan, while actively driving the liquid crystal molecules is fast. A pause due to image transfer/processing delays after acquisition is employed to allow slow relaxation of the liquid crystal molecules back to the ground state in preparation for a subsequent focus search. | 10-22-2015 |
20150301427 | CAPACITIVELY COUPLED ELECTRIC FIELD CONTROL DEVICE - A spatially non-uniform electrode structure is proposed for controlling a spatially non-uniform electric field driving a tunable liquid crystal lens. The spatially non-uniform electrode structure enables the generation of a predetermined spatially non-uniform electric field profile where complex capacitive coupling between multiple different electrically floating neighboring electrode segments is employed for the generation of the electrical field of desired form by supplying an initial electric potential to a limited number of electrodes. | 10-22-2015 |
20150309342 | IMAGE STABILIZATION AND SHIFTING IN A LIQUID CRYSTAL LENS - Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The frequency of a drive signal that generates an electric field in the device can be varied, and the frequency dependent material has different charge mobilities for the different frequencies. At a low charge mobility, the frequency dependent material has little effect on the existing electrode structures. However, at a high charge mobility, the frequency dependent material appears as an extension of the fixed electrodes, and can be used to change the effective electrode structure and, thereby, the spatial profile of the electric field. This, in turn, changes the optical properties of the liquid crystal, thus allowing the optical device to be frequency controllable. | 10-29-2015 |
20150346524 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING OPERATION OF AN OPTICAL LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE - Methods and apparatus for testing operation of a single or multiple tunable active optical device(s) operated by one or more driving electrodes are described. Test methods and apparatus are provided for device testing without necessarily requiring direct physical contact with the driving electrodes. Testing subjects devices to incident light along an optical path and to an external electric field applied to the device producing a dipolar charge distribution within the electrodes, causing the device to operate. The effect of device operation on incident light is optically sensed. The sensed effect is analyzed to identify device defects. Test methods and apparatus are provided for testing multiple unsingulated devices during fabrication employing a strip contact structure having contact strips connected to multiple devices and extending to wafer edges, such that singulating devices leaves portions of the strip contact structure exposed on device dice edges providing electrical contacts in use. | 12-03-2015 |
20160000557 | LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL DEVICE WITH ADVANCED ELECTRIC FIELD CONTROL CAPABILITY - A liquid crystal optical device is provided, including a layered structure including at least two support substrates. An external hole patterned control electrode is provided on one of the substrates and has an aperture. An internal hole patterned control electrode is provided on one of the substrates within the aperture, the internal and outer control electrodes being separated by a gap, which forms part of the aperture. A weakly conductive material is provided on one of the substrates over the aperture. A planar transparent electrode is provided on another one of the substrates. An alignment surface is provided on the substrates over the electrodes. A layer of liquid crystal material is contained by the substrates and in contact with the alignment surface of the substrates. A floating transparent electrode is provided on a side of one of the substrates opposite the outer and the internal hole patterned electrode. | 01-07-2016 |
20160041449 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FOCUS IMPROVEMENT IN MULTIPLE LIQUID CRYSTAL CELL LENSES - A liquid crystal optical device is provided including at least two LC cells. A first LC cell layer has a predominant director orientation imparting a transversally non-uniform phase delay to a first polarization of an unpolarized incident light field passing therethrough while incident light of a second polarization orthogonal to the first light polarization passes therethrough undergoing transversally uniform phase delay. The first LC cell is configured to project a center extraordinary ray onto an optical axis of the device at the image surface. A second LC cell layer has a predominant director oriented orthogonally to the other predominant director in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. The second LC layer imparts a transversally non-uniform phase delay to the second polarization of the incident light passing therethrough, the second LC cell being configured to project a center ordinary ray onto the optical axis at the image surface. | 02-11-2016 |